The monotony of the World Cup

Don’t know about you (in fact, I could really care less), but I’ve been rather glued to the TV (not literally, this time) since the 2010 World Cup began on June 11.

So the US is out. Big deal. Somebody else should win the World Cup anyway. It’s the world’s game; let a country who actually respects it be the victor.

But I digress. If you’ve been watching your fair share o’ soccer lately, or if your head isn’t up your ass, then you know what a vuvuzela is. It’s a four-letter word that looks like this (although not always so candy-striped):

And you’ll understand this:

And you’ll also appreciate YouTube’s latest prank. On a good number of videos, many having nothing to do with soccer, they’ve activated a new button on the bottom right of the media player that fairly resembles a tiny soccer ball. It looks like this (hint: follow the red arrow):

Clicking it will trigger an endless, irksome blast that sounds vaguely like a massive swarm of killer bees. Or for you who’ve been watching the World Cup, it sounds quite like the tens of thousands of vuvuzelas that pervade every game, from start to finish.

The drone is so godawful that networks have taken measures to filter it out, and guides have popped up explaining how to block it from TV sets and computers. Despite complaints, however, FIFA has decided not to ban the vuvuzela due to its traditional significance.

Go ahead, try YouTube’s new button to hear the dreadful peal for yourself HERE (which you really should, even if for 1.9 seconds). Among the top 7 most annoying sounds ever, but damn clever of you, YouTube. Damn clever indeed.

07.21.2010 "Big," Macy Gray. For anyone seeking another Macy Gray album on par with "On How Life Is," look no further. Though not as instantly catchy, with repeated listenings it's simply euphoric. "Big" showcases Macy's highly under-appreciated wordsmithery, her peerless phrasing and that otherworldly helium voice—the most engaging and expressive female voice I've heard since Nina Simone.

02.18.2011 “Return to the Sea,” Islands. Following the brilliant, short, happy life of Montreal indie rock band The Unicorns and their gem, “Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?” frontman Nick Diamonds and drummer J’aime Tambeur emerged from the ashes to form Islands—and one of the more compellingly quirky, epic, sprawling and distinctive albums known to man.

09.15.2011 "Fuzzy" and "Mighty Joe Moon," Grant Lee Buffalo. Part Wilco, part Eddie Vedder, part Elliott Smith. And yet, completely original. Why more people haven’t heard Grant Lee Buffalo is a crime against good taste. Two of the best albums of the ‘90s right here, masterfully written, voiced and shredded by Grant-Lee Phillips.

12.7.2011 "Mr. Wizard," R.L. Burnside. If this old school, north Mississippi juke joint bluesman doesn't (at the very least) get your head a-bobbin' or toe a-tappin', then you're fucked—because you have no soul. That's a fact. Burnside, a toothless, badass septuagenarian who's now passed away, shreds Mississippi Delta blues—right when it turned electric. Saw him in concert back in 2001, and it was easily one of the top 3 shows I've ever had the privilege to attend.